Device in which a garment with a crinkled appearance may be cleaned

ABSTRACT

A device in which a garment with a crinkled appearance may be stored or laundered is taught comprising a washable bag with sufficient elasticity to retain the garment in a predetermined position so that the appearance of the garment remains crinkled. So that the washable bag can he dried as well as washed, the bag is preferably made from fabric that resists melting at temperatures conventionally experienced during the clothes drying process. The bag further has snag-free surface and at least one opening to receive the garment. Means for hanging may be provided so that the device can be easily stored.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a device for maintaining the originalappearance of a crinkled garment during washing, drying and storage, sothat its appearance stays uniform and unnecessary wrinkles areminimized.

Garments with an initial crinkled appearance, also know as crepe fabric,lose that appearance after being subjected to repeated cleaningprocesses. Crinkled garments naturally stretch out after being subjectedto the normal process of washing and drying.

One method of maintaining the crinkled appearance of a garment is totwist the garment from top to bottom and secure the twisted garment withrubber bands or ties, and then tie the entire garment in a knot to storeit. This method is time consuming and cumbersome to accomplish, thegarment does not crinkle evenly, new wrinkles are created, and layingthe twisted garment on a shelf or in a drawer tends to flatten out someof the crinkles over time.

ADVANTAGES OF THIS INVENTION

To alleviate this problem, and others which will become apparent fromthe disclosure which follows, the present invention conveniently allowsthe garment to be placed in a bag where it is compressed in a desiredposition to maintain the crinkles, even while the garment is laundered,dried or stored. Because a means for hanging is provided, no flatteningoccurs, and the garment with the crinkles maintained is ready forwearing upon removal from the bag.

The process of bagging the crinkled garment takes about thirty seconds.A detachable hanger or hook allows the bag to be washed and driedwithout damage to other garments. The detachable hanger or hook can beattached to the bag after laundering and used to hang the device withthe garment in a closet or any other desired location. This device andthe methods taught by this invention will allow for easy maintenance ofready to wear crinkled garments.

These together with other objects of the invention, along with thevarious features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointedout with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part ofthis disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, itsoperating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses,reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptivematter in which there is illustrated preferred embodiments of theinvention.

Still other advantages will be apparent from the disclosure thatfollows.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the invention, a device in which a garmentwith a crinkled appearance may be cleaned is taught comprising awashable bag, having means for compressing a garment disposed therein,into which the garment may be drawn. The means for compressing comprisesthe bag having sufficient elasticity to retain the garment in apredetermined position so that the appearance of the garment remainscrinkled. So that the washable bag can be dried as well as washed, thebag is preferably made from fabric that resists melting at temperaturesconventionally experienced during the clothes drying process, and thuscan be used in hot air environments such as a clothes dryer.Alternatively, the garment in the bag can be drip-dried.

Preferably, the bag comprises a sleeve independent of a snaggingsurface. Since the garment is to be drawn into the bag, having asnag-free bag will insure that the garment is not compromised by usingthe bag. The sleeve is preferably elongated with a top end and a bottomend and a top opening. The means for compressing may comprise theelongated sleeve having at least one drawstring for applying a squeezingpressure toward the centerline of the sleeve to retain the garment in apredetermined position so that the appearance of the garment remainscrinkled.

The means for hanging may be disposed proximate the top end forsupporting the top end of the sleeve at a higher elevation than thebottom end. Means for hanging may further be provided with a top hangerdisposed proximate the top end for supporting the top end of the sleeveat a higher elevation than the bottom end and with a bottom hangerdisposed proximate the bottom end for supporting the bottom end of thesleeve at a higher elevation than the top end, so that the device can behung from one of the top end, the bottom end, and both the top end andthe bottom end.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more importantfeatures of the invention in order that the detailed description thereofthat follows may be better understood, and in order that the presentcontribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course,additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafterand which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon whichthis disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for thedesigning of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out theseveral purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore,that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructionsinsofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the presentinvention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

Embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example, and notby way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings and inwhich like reference numerals refer to similar elements and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the device in which a garment with acrinkled appearance may be stored and/or cleaned in which the bag isshaped as an elongated sleeve with a top opening and a top loop isprovided to receive a hanger;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the device in which a garment with acrinkled appearance has been inserted thereby expanding the sleeve toaccommodate the garment;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2showing a garment secured in place by the resilient walls of the sleeve;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the deviceshowing a sleeve that does not require elasticity as it has separatemeans for compressing which can be actuated by a draw string that iswrapped around the length of the sleeve;

FIG. 5 is an illustration of the sleeve of the device showing an openingat the top end and an opening at the bottom end, with the top openinglarger than the bottom opening;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the top section of thesleeve showing a drawstring used for closure of the opening and forhanging the device from a hook or a knob;

FIGS. 7A through 7D shows one method for drawing the garment into thesleeve of the device in which the garment is secured by thrusting a handholding the garment into one end of the sleeve and the opposite openingof the sleeve being pulled back over the hand and the garment, and thenthe hand is withdrawn from the garment. Alternatively, the hand with thegarment attached can be pushed into the sleeve entirely as shown in 7Aand 7C, without drawing the sleeve back upon itself as shown in 7B, andthereafter the hand and arm can be removed as shown in 7D.

FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 8-8 of FIG. 7Bshowing the positions of the end openings as the garment is drawn intothe device;

FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 9-9 of FIG. 7Dshowing the garment within the sleeve;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary perspective view of the sleeve showing a bottomloop and a top loop as part of the means for hanging;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the device in which agarment with a crinkled appearance may be stored and/or cleaned having alongitudinal opening and means for closing the longitudinal opening,said device being shown in an open position;

FIG. 11A is a perspective view of an embodiment of FIG. 11 showing thedevice in a closed position;

FIG. 12 is a side elevation view of a prior art crepe fabric with acrinkled appearance;

FIG. 12A is a cross sectional view taken along the line 11A-11A of FIG.11 showing the crinkled appearance of the crepe fabric; and

FIG. 12B is a cross sectional view taken along the line 11B-11B of FIG.11 showing the crinkled appearance of the crepe fabric.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the following description, specific details are set forth in order toprovide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will beapparent that the invention may be practiced without these specificdetails.

Without departing from the generality of the invention disclosed hereinand without limiting the scope of the invention, the discussion thatfollows will refer to the invention as depicted in the drawing.

According to one embodiment, a device in which a garment 1 with acrinkled appearance may be cleaned is taught by this importantinvention. The device comprises a washable bag 2, having means forcompressing 3 a garment 1 disposed therein, into Which the garment maybe drawn. According to one embodiment, the means for compressingcomprises the bag having sufficient elasticity to retain the garment 1in a predetermined position, as shown in FIG. 2, so that the appearanceof the garment remains crinkled. A suitable material for use in theelastic bag is one using spandex or a like material. So that thewashable bag can be dried as well as being washed the bag is preferablymade from fabric that resists melting at temperatures conventionallyexperienced during the clothes drying process and thus can be used inhot air environments, such as a clothes dryer.

According to one embodiment, the bag comprises a sleeve 2 a independentof a snagging surface. Since the garment 1 is to be drawn into the bag,as best shown in FIGS. 7A-7D, having a snag-free bag will insure thatthe garment is not compromised by using the bag. As best shown in FIG.1, the sleeve is preferably elongated with a top end 3 a and a bottomend 3 b and a top opening 3 c, According to one embodiment, the sleeve 2a has a bottom opening 3 d as shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 10. Preferably,the cross-sectional area of the top opening is greater than thecross-sectional area of the bottom opening, as shown in FIG. 4.Moreover, the sleeve may be elongated with a top end and a bottom endand a bottom opening. The means for hanging of the device may bedisposed proximate the bottom end for supporting the bottom end of thesleeve at a higher elevation than the top end. 1.

As best shown in FIGS. 11 and 11A, the elongated sleeve 2 a may have alongitudinal opening 32 and means for closing 34 the longitudinalopening. Obvious variants of the means for closing will be readilyunderstood by those skilled in the art to include a variety of closures,fasteners, hook and loop mating material and the like. The means forclosing 34 the longitudinal opening may also comprise a zipper 34 a asshown in the drawing.

As best shown in FIG. 4, the means for compressing 3 preferablycomprises the elongated sleeve having at least one drawstring 4 forapplying a squeezing pressure toward the centerline of the sleeve toretain the garment 1 in a predetermined position so that the appearanceof the garment remains crinkled.

Means for hanging may further be provided with a top hanger 5 connectedto a top loop 6 disposed proximate the top end 3 a for supporting thetop end of the sleeve 2 a at a higher elevation than the bottom end asshown in FIG. 1. The top loop comprises a strap that can be secured withVelcro® 7 or the like so that it can secure the device to a clothhanging rod independent of a top hanger. As shown in FIG. 10, a bottomhanger, similar to the top hanger 5, may be disposed in a bottom loop 8proximate the bottom end 3 h for supporting the bottom end of the sleeveat a higher elevation than the top end, so that the device can be hungfrom one of the top end, the bottom end, and both the top end and thebottom end.

In FIG. 6, a device is shown comprising means for hanging disposedproximate the top end 3 a for supporting the top end of the sleeve at ahigher elevation than the bottom end 3 b. According to one embodiment,the means for hanging comprises a drawstring 4 fastened to the topopening 3 c of the sleeve.

According to one embodiment, the elastic bag 2 has sufficient elasticityto retain the garment 1 in a predetermined position so that theappearance of the garment remains crinkled. According to anotherembodiment, the bag 2 with means for compressing 3 a garment 1 disposedin the bag, into which the garment may be drawn, and the bag hassufficient compressibility to retain the g era in a predeterminedcrinkled position so that the crinkled appearance of the garment issustained upon removal from the bag 2.

The device of the present invention has the advantage of being easy touse. One method for cleaning a garment 1 having a crinkled appearancecomprises:

a. crinkling the garment in a predetermined position;

b. drawing the garment in the predetermined position into a washableelastic bag having sufficient elasticity to retain the garment in thepredetermined position;

c. washing the garment in the bag; and

d. drying the garment in the bag, so that the crinkled appearance of thegarment is sustained upon removal from the bag. Additionally, thegarment may be stored in the predetermined position in the bag.

According to another method for cleaning a garment 1 having a crinkledappearance, the following steps are provided: crinkling the garment in apredetermined position; drawing the garment in the predeterminedposition into a washable bag 2 having means for compressing 3 a garmentdisposed in said bag with said bag having sufficient compressibility toretain the garment in the predetermined position; washing the garment inthe bag; and drying the garment in the bag, so that the crinkledappearance of the garment is sustained upon removal from the bag.Additionally, the step of activating the means for compressing 3 toretain the garment 1 in the predetermined position may be provided, asshown in FIG. 4, The drawstring 4 employed may be tied at either or bothends and it may be locked in place with a fastener 9. Where activationof the means for compressing is provided, the step of deactivating themeans for compressing to release a squeezing pressure directed towardthe center of the bag that retained the garment in the predeterminedposition may be required. And again, the garment in the predeterminedposition may be stored in the bag.

A method for retaining a crinkled appearance of a garment 1 is alsoprovided by the instant invention comprising:

a. crinkling the garment in a predetermined position;

b. drawing the garment in the predetermined position into a bag, havingmeans for compressing 3 a garment disposed in said bag, said bag havingsufficient compressibility to retain the garment in the predeterminedposition;

c. storing the garment in the predetermined position in the bag; and

d. removing the garment from the bag, so that the crinkled appearance ofthe garment is sustained upon removal from the bag.

Additionally, the step of activating the means for compressing 3 toretain the garment 1 in the predetermined position may be provided.Where activation of the means for compressing is provided, the step ofdeactivating the means for compressing to release a squeezing pressuredirected toward the center of the bag that retained the garment in thepredetermined position may be required. And again, the garment in thepredetermined position may be stored in the bag.

While this invention has been described in connection with the best modepresently contemplated by the inventor for carrying out his invention,the preferred embodiments described and shown are for purposes ofillustration only, and are not to be construed as constituting anylimitations of the invention. Modifications will be obvious to thoseskilled in the art, and all modifications that do not depart from thespirit of the invention are intended to be included within the scope ofthe appended claims. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that theconception upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilizedas a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systemsfor carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It isimportant, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including suchequivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spiritand scope of the present invention.

My invention resides not in any one of these features per se, but ratherin the particular combinations of some or all of them herein disclosedand claimed and it is distinguished from the prior art in theseparticular combinations of some or all of its structures for thefunctions specified.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized thatthe optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention,including variations in size, materials, shape, form, function andmanner of operation, assembly and use, and all equivalent relationshipsto those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification,that would be deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in theart, are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of theprinciples of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications andchanges will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is notdesired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operationshown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications andequivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of theinvention.

1-18. (canceled)
 19. A method for cleaning a garment having a crinkledappearance comprising: a. crinkling the garment in a predeterminedposition; b. drawing the garment in the predetermined position into awashable elastic bag having sufficient elasticity to retain the garmentin the predetermined position; c. washing the garment in the bag; and d.drying the garment in the bag, so that the crinkled appearance of thegarment is sustained upon removal from the bag.
 20. The method of claim19, further comprising the step of storing the garment in thepredetermined position in the bag. 21-24. (canceled)
 25. A method forretaining a crinkled appearance of a garment comprising: a. crinklingthe garment in a predetermined position; b. drawing the garment in thepredetermined position into a bag, having means for compressing agarment disposed in said bag, said bag having sufficient compressibilityto retain the garment in the predetermined position; c. storing thegarment in the predetermined position in the bag; and d. removing thegarment from the bag, so that the crinkled appearance of the garment issustained upon removal from the bag.
 26. The method of claim 25, furthercomprising the step of activating the means for compressing to retainthe garment in the predetermined position.
 27. The method of claim 25,further comprising the step of storing the garment in the predeterminedposition in the bag.
 28. The method of claim 26, further comprising thestep of deactivating the means for compressing to release a squeezingpressure directed toward the center of the bag that retained the garmentin the predetermined position.
 29. A method for storing a garment in adevice in which a garment with a crinkled appearance may be stored andcleaned while retaining the crinkled appearance of the garment duringboth storing and cleaning, the device comprising a washable bag havingsufficient elasticity to retain the garment in a predetermined positionso that the appearance of the garment remains crinkled having means forcompressing a garment disposed therein, into which the garment maybedrawn, the bag having a top opening, a tubular body formed of anelongated sleeve, and a bottom opening, wherein a diameter of the bottomopening is smaller than a diameter of the top opening, the methodcomprising the steps of compressing the garment; and inserting thegarment into the device through at least one of the top opening and thebottom opening.
 30. A method as claimed in claim 29, further comprisingthe steps of laundering the device, and hanging the device in a storageposition, wherein the garment is stored in the device while the deviceis hanging in the storage position.